Girl Scouts to honor Mary Anna Self

By HOMER MARQUEZ Herald News Editor

Published 3:58 pm, Thursday, March 6, 2014

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Girl Scouts to honor Mary Anna Self

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The mission of the Girl Scouts is to “build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.” And for 10 years, Plainview resident Mary Anna Self has helped to see the local troop’s mission through her fundraising efforts with the area United Way program. Now the Girl Scouts organization is honoring Self’s efforts by recognizing her with the 2014 Women of Distinction Discover Award.

“I was astonished,” Self said when she was told she would be receiving the award April 1. “I had no idea this was coming, and I’m deeply honored. This was totally out of the blue.”

From 2002-12, Self helped to fund the Plainview Girl Scout program by working through the United Way organization, which also funds a number of other community programs such as the Salvation Army and Boy Scouts.

Even working as the United Way executive director, Self was dedicated to ensuring the program had what it needed in carrying out its cause.

Self said she worked closely with Girl Scout administrators to set a fiscal path of prosperity.

“They are a very good and solid program that gives girls a platform to make the best decisions about life, while also building self-esteem and fellowship and leadership skills,” Self said.

Self retired from the United Way program in 2012.

“The Discovery Award is presented to a woman who demonstrates exceptional understanding of themselves and their values, and uses this knowledge in every way possible to help girls and women explore and discover themselves and their world,” said Rebecca Burton, chief executive officer for the Girl Scouts of the Texas Oklahoma Plains.

Burton said Self “demonstrated personal generosity in the art of helping others to discover and cultivate women’s leadership qualities and has played a key role in assisting others to discover their potential, but also set an example for others to follow through (her) work with the Plain view United Way. As a highly visible champion of this work, I applaud (Self) on receiving this award.”

Money raised through Self’s efforts went to fund many local functions as well as paying for uniforms and membership fees for area girls.

“We are very appreciative of her efforts,” said Plainview Girl Scout leader Eloisa Soliz. “She really pushed for the community to support us.”

During Self’s tenure, the local Girl Scouts boasted around 300 members.

“I felt a lot of accomplishment working with the organization,” Self said. “They really help build leadership skills to girls who sometimes don’t have that opportunity to learn better skills.”

Self will be honored with a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 1 at the McInturff Conference Center, located at 602 Indiana Avenue. Tickets are $40 per person, and a table of eight is $500. Proceeds from the event help provide the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to area girls.

Self will join the following honorees in this year’s Women of Distinction class:

•Connect Award: Christy Martinez Garcia, editor and owner of Latino Lubbock Magazine. The recipient of this award demonstrates exceptional leadership in connecting with others to create solutions in our community and beyond to make the world a better place.

•Take Action Award: Dr. Gladys Whitten, oral surgeon and owner of Caprock Oral Surgery. The recipient of this award serves our communities and advances the quality of life and opportunities so vital to the development of and support of women’s leadership.

•Lifetime Achievement Award: Ada Rummel, financial adviser with Wells Fargo Advisers and a longtime advocate and supporter of Girl Scouts. The recipient of this award is an individual that has dedicated her life to serving in the interest and support of women’s leadership.